The three final bidders for Odeon couldlearn as early as today who has succeeded in buying the UK cinema chain formore than £380m ($683m), according to wire and newspaper reports.

U.S. buyout giant Blackstone, Britishfinancier Guy Hand's Terra Firma Capital Partners and Iranian property investorRobert Tchenguiz were all set to submit final offers for the cinema chain onThursday or early today, said Reuters.

"They're getting the bids in tonightor early tomorrow morning and hoping to make a decision and sign documentstomorrow," said one source on Thursday.

BC Partners and VUE Entertainment, alsoshortlisted on August 13, have pulled out of the auction, which is being run byinvestment banks Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, the sources added.